The 29-year-old’s representative – his brother Danijel – gave a statement to talkSPORT in which he claimed the Austria international was keen on the move.

The statement read in part: West Ham bought Marko for peanuts. They paid £20m for him, which is nothing in the current market.

They bought him to keep them in the Premier League last season and he did that. He took every award at the club.

Now West Ham have a fantastic offer. It is close to double what they paid for him.

He wants to go to a new market and challenge for titles. It is his great desire that West Ham accept the offer from China.

But West Ham said: Marko Arnautovic has a contract and we fully expect him to honour it. He is not for sale.

Manager Manuel Pellegrini said at his Thursday media conference: We know that we have in Marko a very good player, so maybe a lot of clubs may want him to play for their team, but he’s a player of West Ham.

Marko and the other players involved in the rumours have their heads here, they want to continue the way they’re playing.

I’m sure he’ll have his head in the game against Arsenal (on Saturday, live on Sky Sports).

Players of his quality and other players like Declan Rice, Felipe Anderson – other clubs will want them, but that is one thing. I don’t think they will go.

I want to keep him, of course, but you never know what might happen in the future.

Danijel Arnautovic stressed in his statement that his brother would give 100 per cent for West Ham, for however long he is at the club.